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L. PJBARLOW..

CONTACT BOMB, APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 191B.

Patented Oct. H, 1919.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE. A

LESTER. IP. BARLOW, F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOE TO MABLIN-ROCKWELL CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

CONTACT-BOMB.

Specication of Letters Patent Continuation in part of application Serial No. 195,609, filed October 9, 1917. This application led May 27,

1918. Serial No. 236,916.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, LESTER P. BARLOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contact- Bombs, of which'the following is. a specifica- -llO tion.

My invention relates to bombs or the like explosive bodies, and particularly to that type of bomb which is dropped or launched from an aeroplane and explodes on contact. It is 4well-known in such structures to maintain the detonator to the rear of the explosive chamber by means of an air-wheelfiled October 9, 1917. .present invention aims to overcome M this 5(Iiliiiiculty byproviding a weatherproof construction in which .the ,.detonator is released, after the bomb is launched or dropped, in a certain and efficient manner, which does not depend upon the action of the air. In my improved device, the vdetonator is normally held or suspended at a safe distance to the rear of the explosive chamber, and means are provided to release the detonator upon the launching of thebomb, which means have a constantA tendencyto release the detonator but ma be restrained until the -launching of the omb, or which means may be rendered effective upon the launching of the bomb to coact with a fixed abutment, 'such as bomb is launched.

the casing Wall, to break the suspendin connection of the detonator. In the pre erred form of my device, the detonator is suspended by means of a pin extending through a portion of the same and the walls of the casing, a strong spring being provided to withdraw the pin-from the detonator when the My invention also comprises other improvements in devices of this character' amongwhich maybe briefly mentioned the prov1s1on of a closure .member for the exploslve chamber, which is attached, in manner to be described, to the rear end of a for-l ward casing member, and at the forward end of .the rear casin member, when'the device 1s finally assembled, a booster chamber and guiding tube for the detonator being carried b the closure member or diaphragm mentioned. lOther features includean air check device to retard the fall of the detonator into its firing position and ,the method of assembling the forward and rear casing members hereinafter to be described.

In order that la clearer understanding ,of my invention may be had, attention is here-E by directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating certain -embodimentsfof my inven tion. In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a central longitudinal section through ai,

bomb embodying my invention, Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sections taken respectively on lines 2 2 and 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the l junction of the forward and rear casing members.

Referring to the drawings, the bomb is provided .with a forward casing member designated general as 1, which may be formed, for example, of sheet-metal members 2 and 3, suitably secured together, and a contact nose 4. The rear casing member is shown at 5 and ljoins the rear end of forward casing member 1, when the parts are assembled, in such manner as to give the entire casing a desirable stream line form.

The rear casingA member 5 is generally conical in form and is rovided with a plurality of radially exten ing stabilizing vanes 64- integral therewith or suitably secured thereto, which vanes have portions 6 extending forwardly beyond the front open end of casing member 5 for'the purpose of vsecuring the front and rear casing members together, as will,be described. The interior ofthe forwarlasing member may be filled with high ex'poive 7, such as tri-nltrotoluol, and Lforcrns'jthe explosive chamber of I the device. z

The detonator 8 may be of a desired form,

lthe booster charge.

but is preferably an elongated cylindrical structure carrying detonatin material 9 in a peripheral -belt or poc ets extending around the same midway of its length, as described in my applications Serial No. 117,579, fledAugust 30, 1916, and Serial No. 150,712, tiled February 24, 1917. A rear-v wardly extending portion 10 of reduced 'di` ameter is provlded having a cylindrical opening therethrough through which loosely .extends the pin 11, which also extends through the opposite lateral walls ofcasinof member 51 Thisy pin is provided at one enl with a head or enlargement 12,' betwee11 which and the adjacent wall of casing 5 a spiral spring 13, coiled about the pm, is located. The opposite end ofthe pin 11 may be provided with' a cotter-pin 14, which prevents withdrawal of pin 11. The wall of casing 5 is preferably bent inwardly to form a vertical abutment for the inner end of sprin 13.

If t e bomb is to be mounted horizontally below the aeroplane and released from a suitable trap, the cotter pin 14 may be used merely for holding the pin in place during transportation and 'removed when the bomb is laced in the trap. In this case. the spring 13 is held under compression with the head 12 of pin `11 pressing against a surface 1G of the trap indicated diagrammatically.

When the bomb is released, the pinl and spring fall away' from surface 16, whereupon spring 13 immediately expands against'a'butment 12 to withdraw pin 11 and permit the detonator to fall'. Spring 13 may, of course, be restrained until the launchin of the bomb and then released by other sultable means, such, for example, as cotter pin 14, which may Ibe pulled out as the bomb is dropped, when the-latter is mounted vertically. f

Detonator 8 issuspended bythe means described in the upper end of a guiding tube 17 which guidel-iit to its firing position. A booster 18 is preferably used with which is combined a closure or diaphragm for closin the rear end of the explosive chamber an thereby eiectiv'ely separating the space in which the detonator is normally held from the main explosive charge Tand also from In the construction illustrated, the .booster 18 comprises a metallic casting or frame having upper and lower cylindrical portions 19 and 20 which are connected by a plurality of radial portions 21 integral with cylindrical portions 19 and 20 and extending laterally beyond the same, as shown in Fig. 3. A thin tube 22 of brass or other suitablev material is fitted within the bores of cylindrical portions 19 and 20 to abut against the inner edges of the radial riibs or partitions 21. At the bottom of ribs 21 tubular portion 20 is provided with an i annular outwardly extending portion 23, and J at the top of the ribs a outwardly extending annular portion 24 is provided. The space between ribs 21, tube 22 and top and bottom surfaces 24 and 23 may be filled with the booster charge 25 ofhigh ex losive, such as tri-nitro-toluol, which is con ned in position by mounting a metal tube 26 around the outside of the same, this tube being suitably secured to the booster frame as by peaning the lower edge of tube 26 to the metal of the annular portion 23. The upper horizontal portion 24 of the construction may have an annular upwardly extending portion 27 integral therewith which may be screw-V threaded on its periphery: A ring 28 is screw-threaded thereon, when the device is assembled,- and isv of a `suitable size and shape to lit within the rear and forward casing members 'adjacent the junction thereof. Ring 28 is adapted to be secured to the rear end of the forward casing member, and may be provided with a peripheral flange 30,

adapted to seat between the forward edge l of member and the rear edge of member 1, y, when the casing is assembled. Ring 28 may also be securedto casing member 5, as by screws 29.

The booster construction just described is adapted for use in other forms of mounted in position by screwsthreading the4 lower end of the same into the upper tubular portion 19 of the booster frame. The bore of tube 17 is suiiciently larger than the diameter of the detonator to permit the detonator to. drop rapidly through the same. Tube 22 at its upper end abuts against the lower end of tube 17 and forms a continuation thereof. Tube 22 flares inwardly slightly at its upper portion, as shown at 33, and is, from this point t0 the bottom of the tube, of a smaller inner diameter which is only slightly largerthan the greatest diameter of the detonator, a clearance of, for example, three thousandths of an inch being provided. The bore of the booster frame is,

of course, correspondingly shaped to form a suitable backing for this tube.K When the bomb is launched or dropped and pin 11 released, the detonator falls rapidly until the restricted portion of tube 22 is reached, after which the descent of the detonator through the tube is gradual as the air beneath the same slowly escapes around the periphery of the detonator. An air check is thereby provided, so that. 1n case the bomb came in violent contact with any object 'when it had dropped but a few feet from an aeroplane,

the air cushion between plug 31 and the bot' tom of the detonator would prevent contact between firing pin 32 and the fuse cap 34 in the bottom of the detonator. When, however, the bomb has dropped to a safe distance from the aeroplane, or'point at which the bomb is launched, the air beneath the detonator will have all or largely escaped, so that the detonator has been brought gently to rest upon or close to the firing pin and the contact of the bomb with its target causes the successive firing of the detonator booster charge and the main explosive charge. It should be noted that the tube 22 is suliciently thin to permit rupture of the samev and detonation of the booster charge 25 when the detonator charge 9 is fired, and that similarly booster charge 25 explodes outwardly into the main explosive charge 7 surrounding the same.

The stabilizing vanes' 6 provided on the rear casing member extend forwardly beyond the forward edge of casing member 5,

as stated, and are provided at their forwardly extending portions with angular extensions 35 adapted to contact the outer surface of the forward casing member 1. The forwardly extending portions 6 of the vanes are provided with forwardly extending slots 36, and the casing member 1 is provided with lugs or brackets 37 having screwholes therethrough.

When the bomb parts have been made, ring 28 is secured to the rear end of the forward casing member 1, preferably by posiltioning flange 30 on the rear edge of mem- .screwed into the tubular portion 19of the `booster frame.

The rear. casing member 5 is equipped with the detonator suspended therein by 'means of pin 11. In practice the member 5 with the detonator would not be secured to the forward casing member until after the magazine chamber'had been filled with explosive, and member 5 with the detonator,

and the tube 17, need not be secured to the explosive-carrying front easing until after the parts have been transported to the place at which the bomb is to be used. When the bomb is to be finally completed. the forward edge of the rear casing member is advanced against the rear edge of flange 30, detonator Q'being at the Sametime slipped 'into the rear end of tube 17, which has been secured in member 19 of the booster-closure member.

'4 Screws are. then passed through the screwholes in lugs 37 and slots 36 to draw the i 5 with a suitable weatherproof wax or the like. When the detonator is in liring position, the detonation thereof can only take place outwardly into thebooster charge 25, the solid metal of the detonator above and below the detonator charge 9 preventing any of the detonating eiiect in the axial direction of the tube. eect of the booster charge is entirely outwardly because ofthe thickness of metal. above and below the booster charge. In case the detonator is accidentally fired by any causev when it is suspended in its normal inoperativeposition, the explosive effect will Likewise the detonating be nearlyy all expended outwardly without firing the main explosive or booster charges, the thickness of metal in the closure comprising members 19, 24 and 28 being suiicient to prevent detonation ofthese charges.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited strictly to the details described, but that a considerable range of equivalents is included within my invention as indicated by the accompanying claims.

What I claim is 1. In a drop bomb, the combination of a casing havingan explosive chamber, a detonator, means normally holding said detonator in the casing to the rear of said chamber, spring means constantly tending to free said detonator from said holding means, and permit the same to move toward saidchamber, said spring means being adapted to be restrained until-the bomb is lio launched, means for firingv said detonator at a point in its forward movement in the casing, and an air check device for retarding the movement of said detonator into the proximity of said firing means.

2. In4 a bomb or like body, the combination of a casing having an explosive chamber, a detonatormeans adapted to normally suspend said detonator in the casing to the rear of said chamber. means for breaking the suspending connection of said' detonator, means for firing-said detonator at a point inits forward movement in the casing, and an air check device for retarding the movement of said detonator into the proximity' of said firing means. 1

3. In a bomb or like body, the combination of a easing` having anexplosive chamber, a

detonator, means adapted to normally suspend said detonator in thepcasing to the rear of said chamber, means for breaking the suspending connection' of said detonator, a tube for guiding said detonator from its point of "suspension to its firing position, said tube being closed at its forward end and havin a diameter at its forward portion only slightly larger than that of said detonator, and a larger diameter `at its rear portion, and a firing pin at the forward end of said tube.

4:. In a bomb or like body, the combination of a casing having an explosive chamber, a booster vmounted therein, a tube extending from the interior of said booster to the rear of said chamber, and a` detonator normally mounted in the rear portion of said tube, and adapted .to drop lwhen the bomb or like body is launched, said tube having a diameter 'at its forward portion only slightly larger than that of said detonator, and a larger diameterV at its rear portlon, and be-A ing closed at its forward end.

5. In a drop bomb,'the combination of a hollow forward casing member containing an explosive chamber and open at the rear, a hollow rear casing member open at the front, a booster suspended in the rear of said chamber and having a peripheral ring extension resting -on the rear edge of said forward casing member, said extension being formedto provide a rearwardly extending seat of reduced diameter for'said reary casing member, and means for securmg saidv parts together to form a complete casing of stream-line form, with the forward edge of said rear casing member engaging against the rear surface of said ring extension, and

y fitting about said seat on said extension.

6. In a drop bomb, the combination of ahollow forward casingmember containing an explosive chamber and open at the rear, avhollow rear casing member open at the front, and. a diaphragm member for closing -said chamber, having an annular flange portion resting ron the rear edge of said forward casing member, eripheral seats of reduced diameter exten ing forwardly and rearwardly from said flange portion, and a central' forwardly-extending detonator guide, closed at its forward end', said parts being adapted to be secured together to form a complete casing with contmuous outer surfaces, the rear end of the forward casing member fitting about said forward peripheral seat, and the forward end of the rear casing member fitting around said rearwardly extending seat and engaging against the rear surface of said flange portion of said diaphragm member.

7. In a'bomb or like body, the combination of a forward casing member containing an exploslve chamber, a rear casm member having' outwardly extending sta 1l1z1ng vanes extending forwardly of its front edges,

and means for securing the forwardly extending portions of said vanes to said forward casing member with said rear casing member in alinement with said forward casing member, said members being firmly secured together by said securing means.

8. In a bomb or like body, -the combination of a hollow forward casing member, containing an explosive chamber and open at the rear, a ring secured within the rear end of said member, having a screw-threaded bore, and a frame screw-threaded into said ring to extend into saidl explosive chamber, containing a detonator-guiding tube, closed at its forward end, said frame and ring constituting a closure for said explosive chamber, said tube having an extension extending rearwardly from the rear edge of said casing member, a hollow rear casing member, open at the front, and means for securing saidl rear casingmember directly to said forward casing member, in engagement with said ring and in alinement with said forward casing member.

9. -In a bomb or like body, the combination of a hollow forward casing member, containing an explosive chamber and open at the rear, a ring secured within the rear end ofI said member, having a screw-threaded bore, a frame screw-threaded into said vring to extend into said chamber, containing `a detonator-guiding tube, closed at its for- -ward casing member, and a detonator removably suspended in thev rear of said rear casing member from the walls thereof and' inserted within the rear end of said removable iding tube when the parts are .all assem led.

10. In a drop bomb, the combination of a hollow lforward casing member containing an explosive chamber and open at the rear, a hollow rear casing member open at the front, a closure for said chamber having an edge portion engaged by the alined rear edge of the forward casing member and forward edge of the rear casing member, the joint thus formed being sealed, said rear casing member having outwardly extending portions, and means for securing said portions to the forward casing member to -secure said members togethe A 11. In a bomb or like body, the combination of a forward casing member containing an explosive chamber and open at the rear, a rear casing member, a closure lfor said chamber having an edge portion extending` between the rear edge of said forward member and the forward edge of said rear member, the joint thus formed being sealed, said rear casing member having outwardly extending portions, and means for securing said portions to the forward casing member to secure said members together.

l2. In a bomb or like body, the combination of a hollow forward casing member containing an explosive chamber, a closure for said chamber secured within the rear of said member, a tube extending rearwardly from said closure member, secured thereto, and leading into said chamber, a hollow rear casing member, secured to said forward casing member, a detonator normally suspended in said tube with its rear portion extending rearwardly therefrom, and a pin slidably extending through the walls of said rear casing member and the extension of said detonator to the rear of said tube.

13. In a bomb or like body, the combination of a hollow rear casing member open at the front, having stabilizing vanes extending outwardly therefrom and forwardly beyond the forward edge of the member,l

tion, and spring means tending to eject Said pin.

This specification signed and witnessed this 22d day of May, 1918.

LESTER P. BARLOW.

Witnesses DYER SMITH, I. MoIN'rosH. 

